Kim Jong Un Highlights Shared Bloodshed With Russia in New Year Message to Putin
Kim Jong Un said North Korea and Russia have shared “blood, life and death” in the Ukraine war, calling 2025 a meaningful year for the alliance in a New Year message to Vladimir Putin.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has underscored what he described as shared “blood, life and death” between Pyongyang and Moscow in the war in Ukraine, as he sent New Year greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a message published on Saturday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said that 2025 represents a “really meaningful year” for relations between North Korea and Russia, stating that the bilateral alliance had been consolidated by “sharing blood, life and death in the same trench.”
The message comes amid deepening military cooperation between the two countries during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which is nearing its fourth year.
According to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, Pyongyang has dispatched thousands of troops to fight alongside Russian forces. North Korea confirmed in April that it had deployed troops in support of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine and acknowledged that North Korean soldiers had been killed in combat.
Earlier this month, Pyongyang also acknowledged that it sent troops to clear mines in Russia’s Kursk region in August 2025. Kim said that at least nine soldiers from an engineering regiment were killed during the 120-day deployment, speaking on Dec. 12 during a ceremony marking the unit’s return home.
Kim’s New Year message to Putin was sent one day after he ordered officials to intensify missile production, according to state media.
North Korea has significantly increased missile testing in recent years. Analysts say these tests are aimed at improving precision strike capabilities, challenging the United States and South Korea, and testing weapons systems prior to potential export.
In addition to deploying troops, Pyongyang has sent artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems to Russia. Analysts have said that, in return, Moscow is providing North Korea with financial assistance, military technology, and food and energy supplies.